Fabian Riessle battles to sixth title as Pittin makes welcome podium return

Fabian Riessle held off a late charge to secure his sixth World Cup title as Alessandro Pittin made a triumphant return to the Nordic Combined podium.

The two fought tooth and nail to the line in Ramsau am Dachstein, but it was the German who held off the advances to add yet another medal in his collection.

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Riessle had started the cross country stage in ninth position, with his 116.6 points seeing him 18 seconds off top spot at the midway stage.

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Riessle sneaks victory in Nordic combined in Ramsau

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At that point there was work to do but Riessle – who turns 27 on Monday – has consistently shown himself to be a fierce competitor to win by just 0.3 seconds.

But for Pittin this second place was not to be a disappointment, securing his first podium result in two years with a performance to remember after the jumping stage.

Fabian Riessle of Germany reacts after winning the FIS Nordic Combined World Cup in Ramsau am Dachstein, Austria, on December 17, 2017.

Image credit: Getty Images

The bronze medal went to Eero Hirvonen of Finland, just 1.5s off the pace having finished ninth and tenth in the respective stages.

Norway's Joergen Graabak had jumped his way into first place with 121.1 points, but couldn't quite find a second stage to match it, eventually finishing in sixth place.

The World Cup season now takes a winter break, with the next event heading to Altenberg, Germany, on January 5.

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